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This procedure addresses the need for agencies to contact Kent and Medway schools for sensitive information during school holidays.

It is not intended for children with established Child Protection Plan. In these cases, dates of Child Protection Conferences are agreed well in advance. If a conference is held in school holidays when school representation is not possible, the school should provide a written report in advance of the conference.

All invites to Child Protection Conferences sent to schools in Kent should be processed via secure e-mail system. This allows schools to reply and attach reports securely so that these can be shared with other agencies prior to the conference.

In an Emergency

The following are responsible for crisis management in an emergency:

• Director of Learning (Kent);
• Assistant Director Inclusion and Improvement (Medway).

If there is section 47 enquiries during School Holidays

If  an allegation / concern of abuse or neglect occurs during school holidays the relevant Children Social Work Services (Kent)/Children’s Social Care Services (Medway) social worker should make direct contact with her/his school. When possible, contact should be with school staff who have first hand knowledge of the child and access to school records.

If attempts to contact the head teacher or her/his representative fail, the Area Education Officer (Kent) / administration team for the Assistant Director Inclusion and Improvement (Medway) for the district should be contacted. S/he has emergency contact details for head teachers.  wherever possible, ensure appropriate representation at Strategy Discussions.

If schools are unable to attend these meetings, Cluster/ LA representation should be arranged particularly if the child is known to SEN or Inclusions Services. Children Social Work Services (Kent)/Children’s Social Care Services (Medway) or the Police should contact the Kent Education Safeguarding Team (01622 694162)/ Office of the Assistant Director Inclusion and Improvement (Medway), who will arrange for an education representative to attend the Strategy Discussion. The education representative may not have comprehensive knowledge of the child or family, but will be responsible for maintaining close communication with the school and ensuring any necessary actions are completed.

End